Supervisors handled appointments very well

I am writing in response to the article published June 8 with the headline “Marin supervisors set to appoint sheriff oversight commissioners.” As one of the nine candidates for a position as an at-large member, I was present at the interviews.

We are blessed in Marin with a high-quality Board of Supervisors. Each supervisor was polite, attentive and thorough in listening to each candidate’s presentation. Everything ran smoothly.

Although I was not selected, I thought it was more important to assure IJ readers that each person who was chosen was a perfect pick for the challenge ahead. It is definitely a win for everyone.

— The Rev. Jan Heglund, Lagunitas

Balanced budget pokes holes in Fairfax recall

I am writing in regard to the IJ article on the Fairfax Town Council’s review of the annual budget (“Fairfax reserve outlook improves as draft budget takes shape,” June 9). Finance director Michael Vivrette deserves kudos for a job well done.

Highlights of his report include a balanced budget with $14.6 million in revenue and $14.6 million in expenses, as well as a healthy 26.7% reserve fund. It is reassuring to hear that our town is on solid financial footing.

I have heard town spending being used as one of the main talking points from a group advocating the recall of two longtime Town Council members. Considering the message of this article, I find it ironic that it’s being said that Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman operate in an irresponsible and reckless manner with regard to spending taxpayers money.

It appears the recall proponents need to go back to the drawing board for a compelling reason to recall two of the town’s most experienced council members.

— Richard Pedemonte, Fairfax

Renovated Marin Joe’s should preserve the spirit

Marin Joe’s isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a time capsule. For decades, it has offered the same timeless comfort: a mesquite broiler sizzling behind the counter, martinis in the bar with that iconic cheese spread, the fireplace glowing and a piano softly playing. The waiters always know our orders and the cashiers might slip us an Andes mint.

If you know this place, you know about the unapologetically garlicky Caesar salad, the “special” spinach or the unbeatable spaghetti with meat sauce.

During a recent visit, I was told it would be temporarily closed during renovations. When it reopens, I hope the owners preserve its original spirit. The beauty of Marin Joe’s is that it has never changed — and that’s exactly why people keep coming back. It’s a place where generations have gathered, celebrated and found comfort in its predictability.

We’ve seen this done before. After a car crash forced Lundy’s Home Cooking restaurant in San Rafael to remodel in 2018, the owners surprised everyone by rebuilding it exactly as it was. The community was grateful. We didn’t want different — we wanted familiar. That’s what Marin Joe’s means to so many of us.

I urge the owners to please preserve what makes it special: the menu, the staff, the counter seating, the old-school charm. In a world that’s constantly evolving, there’s something deeply meaningful about a place that stays the same.

Marin Joe’s is more than a restaurant. It’s a Marin institution — and it deserves to be honored as such.

— Brooke Gonterman, Rohnert Park

New county executives must focus on Marin City

I am writing about the Marin County Board of Supervisors’ decision to add new county executives, at an annual cost in the millions (“Marin supervisors approve major expansion of executive’s staff,” May 30).

It might prove to be a smart way to improve services or it just might be another layer of bureaucracy.

My greater concern, however, is it feels like Marin City is being used as the poster child in presentations while being an afterthought when it comes to allocating budget funds. Marin City doesn’t need another highly paid administrator, it needs a recreation center, equitable funding and direct support for its underpaid staff and Community Services District. I echo the sentiments of one critic who said that just one of these salaries at $280,000 to $330,000 should’ve been invested in Marin City, not in another administrator.

I think a hybrid option would have been better. Big departments could’ve kept reporting directly to the board (like they have for years), while smaller ones got streamlined oversight. Why scrap a system that works?

I hope there is an actual plan for providing better service to Marin City and its residents. Will the new executives have authority to solve problems here or is this just another time our community’s name gets used to justify spending, while our real needs are ignored?

If the board insists on this structure, Marin City residents must demand tangible results from these new executives. They must be visible, relentless advocates — not transient bureaucrats distracted by a higher-priority agenda or some other focus. The community’s needs are nonnegotiable: Elevate the Marin County Office of Equity, deliver long-promised resources and ensure that when Marin City is on the cover, it’s not just for show.

— Everett Brandon, Marin City

Don’t allow Trump to ‘dumb down’ America

I am absolutely horrified by what appears to be the Trump administration’s efforts to “dumb down” America. Every day I open up the paper with trepidation.

What is next?

Recently, I saw that the top State Department official, Darren Beattie, has taken it upon himself to reject Fulbright scholars. According to the report, the majority of those rejected are studying climate change, environmental resilience, migration, gender, race, ethnicity and homelessness.

That’s disappointing. Back in 2018, Beattie was fired from his role as one of Donald Trump’s speechwriters after news reports revealed he spoke at a conference attended by White nationalists. Now, in 2025, his past no longer seems to be a problem for the administration.

That same day, I read that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced the entire board of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices with appointees that some consider questionable. I think Kennedy’s changes to the COVID-19 vaccination program are a problem.

There is real evidence that the vaccination program saved millions of lives.

We don’t need advisory panels stocked with people I consider ideologues. We need advisers with scientific credentials who will guide us with evidence based recommendations.

Many believe the administration is making science and research political. I think that if it doesn’t like what the facts say, it moves to quash the truth.

This is not making America great, I think it makes it incredibly stupid.

— Anne McClain, Forest Knolls

Trump appears to know little about diplomacy

Aside from the issues of war, I think one of President Donald Trump’s biggest global problems is that he appears to know nothing about diplomacy — and for the real world out there, diplomacy is a key ingredient for successfully moving one’s international agenda — especially if you are a world leader.

Diplomacy is the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and effective way. Diplomats tend to be charming, well mannered, well versed and know everything about everyone they meet officially — and they treat every guest (friend or foe) as a special new friend.

Bragging, lying and being rude to world leaders is never a good image.

— Sandra Macleod White, San Rafael